What’s it like to be truly present? We’re about to find out with the launch this week of a new initiative across all NYU campuses and study away sites encouraging us to renew our commitment to real-life connection—a conversation, a shared moment, and an intentional space.
NYU In Real Life (NYU IRL), spearheaded by NYU President Linda Mills, affirms NYU’s commitment to integrating device-free environments and events across its New York City, Shanghai, and Abu Dhabi campuses. That means there will be more phone-free spaces, gatherings, and activities that invite community members to look up from their phones, connect with each other, and be fully present.
Even before In Real Life kicked off, students and faculty at NYU Shanghai were already organizing phone-free activities on campus on their own, to great success. The initiative just encourages more of what the community has already been calling for, said Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students David Pe.
“As a community, we’ve already started intentionally rethinking our relationship with devices,” he said. “But with NYU IRL, this commitment grows even stronger. You’re not alone in this journey! You’re part of a larger, collective effort.”
That effort is centered in what has always been the heart of our community, the 3rd Floor East Magnolia House. A previously unused outdoor space will now be known as The Nest, a place Pe says is for presence, not productivity. to relax, connect, and be off your devices. There will be a variety of programs and activities hosted here, including some classes, as the community finds ways to relax and connect beyond their screens.
On Wednesday morning, the launch event of In Real Life attracted a curious crowd of community members to Magnolia House for an unexpected start to the day, a chess match pitting good-natured game enthusiast Vice Chancellor Jeff Lehman against 15-year old William Ge, NYU ’28, a member of the US Chess Team, who previously ranked Number 1 in the US and Number 13 globally for his age group.
The two played two back-to-back matches, the second with William Ge wearing a blindfold—in case you were wondering, he won that first match, while Vice Chancellor Lehman prevailed in the second. Meanwhile several students took the opportunity to play a wide array of boardgames that have been scattered throughout the Magnolia Square area to encourage the experience of analog fun.
Echonnie Ma ’29 and her friend Fiona Chen ’29, who were playing a game of Sternhalma or tiaoqi (sometimes known in English as Chinese checkers but which was in fact invented in Germany), enjoyed the opportunity to connect with each other, not a phone in sight. Both hadn’t played in years because they didn’t have access to a set. “It’s the kind of game I would play with my grandpa,” explained Fiona.
The two came to Magnolia House curious about the chess match, but stayed on. “We thought it [the event] was just for watching,” Echonnie said. “We didn’t expect that there would be boards for us to play. Now we can come here and play together.”
David Ochirvaani ’29 sat nearby teaching Tselmeg Bayarjargal ’29 how to play weiqi (also known as Go). “I just learned it a few months ago from a faculty member at the Club Showcase,” he said. Since then he said he has frequently searched the game out in the library to allow him a break from studying. Both said they’d be back to play again.
The chess match and boardgames were a fitting way to start off the initiative and reminded participants of how nice it can feel to connect offline. Walking around Magnolia House later in the week at lunchtime, the feeling of connection remains. While some students were on their laptops or phones, there were just as many playing chess and Go with each other at the couches.
Other activities reinforced the message. Students meditated together in the Health Center’s Calm Corner and IMA hosted a DIY puzzle-making workshop. The annual Dumpling Fest on Thursday encouraged connection through food and a Center for Student Belonging happiness workshop led by Ali Motamedzadeh, MSW '27 taught participants techniques for cultivating a happiness mindset. More In Real Life activities will continue throughout the semester — find them here on our Engage platform.
Senior Sloan Inozemcev, a Resident Assistant, said that he and his fellow RAs will be emphasizing in-person interactions throughout the rest of the year. “That’s essential for building a supportive community and truly experiencing the moments happening right in front of us, not just through a screen,” he said.